There Will Come Soft Rains
by Secret Affiliate
Summary: After Hughes dies, Ed and Al take on the responsibility of helping Mustang become Fuhrer. When Scar and the Homunculi emerge to shift the balance of power, things get complicated. Note: AU after episode 25


**Chapter 1**

Ed had refused to believe it until he saw the headstone himself, and when he did, his stubborn denial made Hughes's sudden absence even more cutting. The bones in his legs were jarred painfully as they hit the ground, and only then did he realize that he had dropped to his knees in front of the tombstone. He reached out and rubbed his fingers along the letters engraved into the stone as if that would rub the letters away and expose this all as some sick joke, but the granite only scraped his fingertips raw. "You..._idiot_," he hissed, slamming his automail fist against the tombstone. "God damnit! Why couldn't you _wait_? I could have..."

He choked on the words. He wasn't sure he could have done anything.

"I should have..." he tried again. That worked, but it made him drop his voice to a raw whisper as the words bit into him. "I should have been there."

He didn't need this. He didn't need one more thing to atone for. _I should have...I should have..._it followed him everywhere. He _should have _listened to his sensei, he _should have_ listened to Al, he _should have _been able to help Nina, he _should have_ killed Tucker when he had the chance... For some reason, the thoughts calmed him. It reduced this to one more mistake he had made – one more thing to atone for. Added to that list, it didn't seem all that horrible. His eyes still stung as they filled with tears.

"Brother..." Al's voice sounded hollow, and not just because of the empty armor that housed him. _That_ twisted his stomach, as he was forcefully reminded of the other grave they had visited – and the tears that Al had shed then.

Ed squeezed his eyes shut and refused to cry. Not in front of Al. That was all he could do for now – pretend it was normal not to have tears to shed over the body of someone loved. "Stupid Hughes," he muttered. He stood up, brushing invisible dirt off his knees idly. "I guess I'll just have to finish up for him, then."

"_Brother..._" Al said again with a note of urgency in his voice.

Ed looked up at him, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about it. We might hear more about the Philosopher's Stone this way anyway. If the Homunculi need an alchemist to make the stone, they can't just expect everyone to..." His voice faltered slightly, and he looked away from Al. "To do what it takes that way. They might know another way to make it."

"Brother, I think – "

"Al, don't – it's nothing to worry about. We'll get back our bodies, and then we'll finish up for Hughes."

"Brother – "

"What?" Ed snapped. "He knew what was more important when he asked me to cover his ass. Not like anyone would go for that smirking bastard anyway," he grumbled. "Hughes just _had_ to nose around on his own, and..." He trailed off. There wasn't much else he could babble about, and the lightheartedness was starting to wear thin.

Al sighed and nudged past Ed. His joints creaked as he leaned over the tombstone. "Are you all right, Colonel?"

Ed twitched. "What the - ?" He bent almost double over the tombstone and came nose-to-nose with Roy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

_Just what I need_, Roy thought sullenly. He shoved Ed's head away. "The same thing you are, unfortunately," he said, standing. "And I'm fine, thank you, Al."

Al nodded slightly as he took a step back. "We should go, brother," he said quietly. "Our things are still...in...the office...so..." He trailed off when it became apparent that Ed wasn't listening to him.

Ed was looking at Roy, his eyes narrowed. "Colonel," he said darkly. "You're all wet."

Roy grimaced inwardly, but kept his face neutral. "I'm quite aware of that."

"_Why_ are you all wet?"

"Must I explain the rain to you? Water condenses in the atmosphere, forming clouds, and when conditions are right,

A muscle started to twitch just under Ed's eye. "What if Scar was sneaking around, huh? You don't even have Hawkeye with you!"

Roy turned to glare at him. "I suppose you've never wanted to sit by a grave in peace, Fullmetal?"

He wasn't prepared for the response, and when it came, he wished he hadn't brought up the subject. For a moment, Ed's eyes widened. He didn't look hurt, but the memory of it was there, and his face unguarded enough to show it for a moment before his expression darkened. "Sorry," he said through gritted teeth. "I must have forgotten. I guess it's easier the third time around. _Excuse me_ if I don't like the idea of doing it for a fourth."

Roy opened his mouth to say something, anything to get rid of the look on Ed's face, but he couldn't think of anything that could dull the candid admission. Certainly, these were extenuating circumstances, but it was rare enough to see Ed serious. It was downright unnatural for him to admit feeling anything towards Roy except for a sort of adversarial familiarity, and even that was only if it was a good day.

There was a long silence after that, and Al shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, he threw up his hands. "I'll go tell Havoc we're almost ready to go back!" he said, practically shouting. When neither alchemist acknowledged him, he ran for the gate, tail between his legs.

Ed and Roy stood still, staring at each other until Ed dropped his gaze. "Sorry," he muttered. "But it _is _stupid."

"It was," Roy said. He took a deep breath. "Thank you for coming," he said.

Ed looked up at him in surprise, but Roy didn't meet his eyes. He glanced once to Ed's face, but his expression was so serious that it made Roy more uncomfortable. "I didn't really come here for you," Ed said finally. "But you heard all that, didn't you?"

Roy hesitated, but there was no point in lying. "Yes."

"You're not even going to ask me about it?"

It was Roy's turn to be surprised. He raised his eyebrows and met the accusing glare Ed had directed at him. "_Excuse me_ for not feeling up to interrogating you at the moment," he said. He didn't manage to make it sound as mocking as it was meant to be, but Ed snorted in weak laughter anyway.

"Good. I don't feel like fighting with you. Anyway, you don't fight fair," he added with a petulant glare.

"How's that?"

"You're always smirking, like I'm losing the fight before I even start," he muttered.

"That's because you are." A ghost of a smile formed for a moment on Roy's face, as if just a mention summoned it. "I'll have Havoc drop me off at my house – "

"You have a _house_?" Ed's eyes went wide.

"Yes. Did you think I lived in a cave?"

Ed shook his head. "I just figured you lived in the dorms with everyone else."

"The key words being, 'with everyone else'," Roy said. He started walking to the gate. When Ed didn't follow him, he looked over his shoulder.

Ed stared at him with a disgruntled look. "Me and Al stay there when we're here, you know," he muttered.

Roy shook his head. "Are you coming, or should I tell Havoc you'll be there _shortly_?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU'D RUN ME OVER IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW I WAS COMING?"

"Thanks, Havoc," Al said quietly. The front seat was a little cramped, but at least his limbs weren't the kind that cramped from staying tight together for long, fraught car rides. Havoc just waved it off and kept driving.

In the back seat, Ed had slouched and fallen asleep with his head against the window. Roy seemed to have lost the good humor he'd had when he had first gotten into the car. He sat stiffly and stared out the window, a brooding frown on his face. Havoc turned into a part of Central that Al had never seen before, and, if he had them, he would have raised his eyebrows.

It was an old neighborhood, and the houses were smaller than the newer ones that had been built around Central Headquarters where Al and Ed usually stayed. Despite the size of the houses, the area had the feel of old money. The sparse lawns were meticulously kept, and subtle landscaping filled the rest of the land around the houses – Al saw a pond and fountain behind one particularly small brick house. The streets were narrow and spotless, and unlike the ones in Central, they were completely empty of cars – apart from a limousine they passed parked on graveled drive, they were all tucked away in garages that matched the houses they were hidden behind.

"Where are we going?" he asked finally.

"Colonel's house," Havoc said.

He looked like he was going to say more, but he snapped his mouth shut when Roy stirred with a sigh, his movements sluggish as if he had been asleep instead of simply losing himself in his thoughts. "It's a left," he said, when Havoc started to turn right onto a slightly wider street than the one they had been on.

Havoc growled and turned left, nearly running up on the curb in the process. "Can't even tell where you are in this maze," he grumbled. They drove a short distance, and came to a stop in the outside bend of a sharp right curve in the road.

Al was slightly disappointed when he saw the house – it was no wonder Roy didn't advertise that he lived here. It was a plain, brown brick two-story with white trim and a flat roof. There was no landscaping here, only a sprawling green lawn on either side of the mosaic sidewalk that led to a large porch that desperately needed repainting. Al thought he even saw a piece of weather-stripping hanging from the bottom of the door.

Ed snorted and sat up suddenly, looking around groggily. "Oh god. Where are we?"

Roy ignored him and unbuckled. "Thank you, Havoc," he said stiffly.

"No problem, I just _love _playing chauffeur," he said, turning back to wink. The corners of his smile dropped suddenly when he saw the distant look on Roy's face. "Colonel..." he started, frowning.

Roy raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. Havoc shook his head and his smile clicked back on. "Nevermind. See you tomorrow, sir."

Roy nodded and opened the door to slide out. He stood beside the car for a moment and stretched, yawning. Al glanced from him to Havoc, who stared straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel. "Is everything all right?"

Havoc nodded. "We should get you two back to - "

"What are you doing?" Roy asked sharply. There was a scuffling sound and a dull thump that startled them both, and they spun around in their seats – at least, Havoc did. Al didn't dare try to move that much, and instead spun his head almost entirely around.

Ed had climbed halfway out of the car behind Roy, and Roy was trying to shove him back inside. "This is my _house_. You weren't invited."

"What, you want us to waste our budget money on a hotel?" Ed growled, swatting Roy's hands away.

"I thought you stayed at the dorms."

Ed shrugged. "It's supposed to be for long-term stays, they don't let us just stop in overnight."

"There's nowhere for you to sleep here!"

"Ever heard of a floor? Look," he said, holding out his empty hands. "We won't even take your space up with our luggage."

"Our office is not a storage facility, _Edward_."

Roy smirked when Ed seemed to take the omission of his title as the chastisement it was. He sank back in his seat, pouting. "Fine," he said, starting to dig in his pocket. "Come here just a second, though."

Roy sighed and leaned towards the open door. "What is it now, E - " Before he realized what was happening, Ed lunged towards him, empty-handed, and _clapped_. Roy didn't back away quickly enough to stay out of reach, and Ed's hands slammed into his chest. There was a quick flash, and Roy flinched. His jacket vanished, and something of the same material wound around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Ed was smirking as he held the end of a piece of cloth fashioned into a crude leash.

"Now, let's go," he said, leaping out of the car.

"_Brother! _You can't just – you - he's a _Colonel_!" Al protested, sounding scandalized.

"I can and I did. We'll just pick our stuff in the morning before we go, right?" Ed glanced at Havoc, grinning.

Havoc shrugged. "Fine by me."

"Lieutenant," Roy started, gritting his teeth as he tried to find a way out of his transmuted jacket-rope. His gloves were a still useless damp lump in his pocket. "If you don't – "

"Hey, I'm not one to question a superior officer," Havoc said quickly, a little too loud.

Roy's face reddened. "Then what are they doing here in the first place?" he snapped, jabbing his hand in Ed and Al's direction.

"That wasn't a fair order – they had a right to know," Havoc grumbled, ignoring the glare Roy shot at him. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, then cursed when he didn't find the lighter on the dashboard where he had left it. He dug under the seat unsuccessfully, then shoved at Al, who squeezed out of the car to let him look.

"They didn't _need_ to know," Roy snarled.

Ed jerked the leash, his eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean, bastard? You think we couldn't handle it? I think we're doing a hell of a lot better than you are right now."

Havoc surfaced with his lighter, struck it to light his cigarette – and from there things happened very quickly.

Ed noticed Roy twist awkwardly under the transmuted jacket to reach into his pocket, and his eyes widened as he made the connection – _lighter...and Flame Alchemist. _He dropped the leash. He had already started his clap by the time Roy reached his gloves and pressed his fingers against he transmutation circle embroidered on the back of one. At the same time the lighter's flame flared, the air became unbearably humid, and in a split second, the moisture condensed into a shapeless blob of water that formed over Havoc's head and dropped.

Havoc spluttered and cursed, spitting out his soaked cigarette in the process. "What the hell?" he shouted, spinning on Ed. He stilled when he saw the two alchemists staring each other down – for a moment, Roy looked like he wanted to continue the fight even though he was crippled in body and alchemy, but he seemed to think better of it. "You're faster," he observed unhappily.

"Second time I've beat you," Ed said, with a pleased grin on his face. "So we're staying."

Roy grunted, but didn't protest further, even when Ed sprang out of the car and grabbed the leash. He dragged behind as Ed ran to the front door and held out his hand. "Keys," he said.

Roy recovered enough to smirk. "They were in my jacket pocket."

Ed stared at the jacket, perplexed for a moment, then pulled Roy over to him and started to pat the remains of the jacket until he found the lump where the keys were hidden. He used his automail hand to find a seam that had remained intact and ripped it open. He seemed oblivious to Roy's glare as he turned and unlocked the door, humming enthusiastically. "If there's even a _thread_ out of place when you fix this, I'll – "

"What? Spank me?" Ed said darkly, pushing the door open. He looked at Roy over his shoulder, his eyes cold. "I'm not a kid, _Colonel _Mustang. And I've heard it's not a good idea to attack your subordinates. Not a good quality for our future Fuhrer to have either, is it?"

Roy froze, his eyes widening in shock. "What did you just say?"

"That you're an immature bastard who should have more sense than to throw a tantrum that could blow a crater in the street."

Roy narrowed his eyes. "...the part about a Fuhrer."

Ed shrugged. "Dunno what you're talking about," he said nonchalantly. He shoved Roy into the house in front of him, and made an "o.k." sign with his hand before following.

Al and Havoc stared at the open door, and after a moment, Havoc sagged and put his head in his hands. "Was that...a nightmare?" he said. "Please tell me I fell asleep."

Al sighed. "I'm afraid not. I just hope they don't kill each other before tomorrow."

Havoc looked up at Al between his fingers. "I don't. It'd be better that way, with the way the Colonel's been acting. He could have fucking killed me."

Al physically jerked in surprise when he heard Havoc curse, but he didn't comment on it. "You're...really worried about him?"

"We all are. It's been a rough few days. Hawkeye and Fuery were the ones really covering for him, but Hawkeye almost had a heart attack when Fuhrer Bradley wanted to see him." He sat up and started the car. "Hey, Al?" he said, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the engine.

Al leaned into the car so the he could hear. "Are you all right?" he said when Havoc didn't continue.

Havoc shot him a shaky smile. "Yeah. Look...take care of him, all right? He cares about you and Ed, that's why he didn't want you to know, but he doesn't think straight when it comes to you two. He'll probably listen to you two, maybe remember that he's got a reason to be here."

Al gasped. "You don't think he'd...?"

Havoc shook his head. "Nah, but he'd make it pretty miserable moping all the time." He laughed suddenly. "'Course, he'd never admit that he's all messed up about Hughes. Ed's got that much right – he's a stubborn bastard."

Al wanted to smile. "We'll take care of him," he promised, and relaxed slightly when Havoc turned to grin at him.

"Don't patch him up too well. With him out of commission, the rest of us bachelors might actually have a chance with the girls," he said, giving Ed a rogueish wink.

Al laughed awkwardly. "Right..." he said, ducking out of the car and shutting the door. He watched Havoc until he disappeared around a curve, then turned back to face Roy's house, sighing heavily. It was ominously silent inside. _Maybe I should have asked him to stay..._he thought uncertainly. "No. I can do this," he told himself. "If I have to, I'll just tie them down in different sides of the house."

With that, he started inside.


End file.
